December 2015 Current Events: World News

Impeachment Proceedings Begin in Brazil for President Rousseff (Dec. 3): The Chamber of Deputies open impeachment proceedings against Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff for allegedly manipulating government funds and laws in order to secure her re-election. In response, Rousseff expresses her outrage in a television address to the country. In the address, she says, "I have received with indignation the decision by the head of the lower chamber to the impeachment process. There is no wrongful act committed by me, nor are there any suspicions that I have misused public money." For the impeachment to succeed, the proposal to have Rousseff removed will need the support of at least two-thirds of the deputies, meaning 342 of 513 lower house votes.

U.N. Climate Summit Agrees to Global Pact (Dec. 12): The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, held at a convention center just north of Paris, France, concludes with a pact that commits all countries to reduce carbon emissions. This is the first time that a global climate change pact has been reached. Named the Paris Agreement, the accord is a consensus of the 196 representatives attending the conference. The agreement includes that all the parties will make an effort to limit global warming to a temperature increase of 1.5 Celsius. The 1.5 Celsius goal will require zero emissions between 2030 and 2050, according to scientists. U.S. President Barack Obama, President Xi Jinping of China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, and France's President Francois Hollande all attend the conference.

Women Win Council Seats in Saudi Arabia's Landmark Election (Dec. 13): For the first time, women in Saudi Arabia are allowed to vote and run for office in the milestone election. More than a dozen women win seats on local councils throughout the country. However, the new female elected officials make up less than 1 percent of all council members and have limited power.

69 Journalists Are Killed in 2015 (Dec. 29): The Committee to Protect Journalists announces that 69 journalists have been killed while on the job in 2015. Syria is where the most journalists have died this year with fourteen total. France is second with nine.